A fear originating from his very source began to mix into the Zombie Devil's wretched howls.
Faced with this precise and lethal strike, the Zombie Devil's defense was like a wall made of paper, rapidly collapsing before the storm specifically targeting its weaknesses.
He tried to gather all his strength for a final struggle, his massive mouth snapping open as a dark green breath, concentrated with the aura of disease and death, began to brew.
But Sukuna didn't give him the chance.
"It's over." He murmured in his heart.
Finally, the strongest blow was launched. Tens of thousands of slashes with spiritual special attack properties, like arrows from all directions and every inconceivable angle, converged into a torrent of destruction, accurately shooting toward the Zombie Devil.
There was no earth-shaking explosion, only a crisp sound as if glass were shattering.
The Zombie Devil's massive body suddenly froze, and the brewing breath instantly dissipated. Immediately after, starting from the core, cracks spread rapidly across his body like a spiderweb.
His body, composed of countless severed limbs, began to disintegrate and annihilate from the inside, turning into the purest black dust.
Like a sandcastle blown away by the wind, he eventually vanished into the air, leaving behind only a dead silence and a faint, lingering stench of rot.
Almost at the same time the Zombie Devil was completely annihilated, another miniature but extremely pure source of Cursed Energy, carrying a sharp sense of destruction, fell from his dissipating body—it was a small piece of the Gun Devil's flesh.
Apparently, it hadn't been fully digested after being swallowed by the Zombie Devil and had now become an ownerless object.
Sukuna raised his hand, and an invisible force pulled the piece of flesh, which emitted an ominous red light, into his palm, whereupon he swallowed it.
Cold notification sounds, seemingly originating from the rules of the world, rang out one after another deep within Sukuna's consciousness.
[Confirmation: Successfully exorcised and collected "Zombie Devil."]
[Reward Issued: Fear Concept "Zombie" has been recorded, total amount of Cursed Energy increased, soul strength slightly enhanced]
[Confirmation: Successfully recovered and absorbed Gun Devil's Flesh.]
[Reward Issued: Fear Concept "Firearms" has been recorded, total amount of Cursed Energy significantly increased, soul strength enhanced.]
...
The scent of blood in the warehouse district had not yet been fully dispersed by the night breeze.
The pungent smell of scorched earth and molten metal mixed together, outlining the silhouette of the inhuman battle that had just occurred.
Controlling Utaha's body, Sukuna paused slightly just as he stepped out of that twisted and deformed warehouse door.
Outside, it was not a void of silence. Several figures wearing uniform black uniforms and special armbands had silently formed a loose perimeter. Their eyes were sharp and their movements efficient, clearly a professionally trained special unit.
The leader, with a steady gaze and restrained aura, was the experienced captain who had previously encountered the Ghost Devil during a hunt.
This was the Public Safety Division operations squad.
The squad's goal for this mission was clear.
They had long since targeted the Yamanaka-gumi, a yakuza organization that used devil powers to secretly conduct kidnappings and sacrifices, but due to a lack of manpower and the group's secretive operations, they had been unable to strike decisively.
When Himeno handed the information to Sukuna, the captain guessed that the monster also had designs on the Zombie Devil.
He hurried over immediately, not to snatch Sukuna's spoils, but to prevent any careless people from wandering into the combat zone and getting crushed, or to catch any lucky survivors who managed to escape.
He just hadn't expected Sukuna's strength to be so great, erasing the entire stronghold along with its worshipped patron—the Zombie Devil—in a way and at a speed they couldn't comprehend.
The squad members were even more terrified as they quickly secured the perimeter and cautiously entered the warehouse to investigate.
Besides the expected traces of sacrifice and devil remains, they also discovered a staggering number of standard-issue firearms of unknown origin.
The appearance of such things in a devil-worshipping yakuza den, and the conspiracy that might be behind it, made even the battle-hardened captain feel a chill run down his spine—this was far more complex and dangerous than dealing with a few wild devils.
Facing the "girl" before him who had just cleaned up the entire warehouse alone and radiated an aura that made the soul tremble, the captain quickly weighed his options in his mind.
He had had some dealings with people from the Jujutsu World and knew well that these beings with extraordinary powers were mostly eccentric, unpredictable, and even prone to extreme paranoia. Describing them as "lunatics" would not be an exaggeration.
How to communicate with this "Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer" became the most thorny problem at hand.
Send a veteran to try and get close?
The captain's gaze swept across the squad, finally landing on Himeno.
This newcomer, though inexperienced, was relatively simple-minded and proactive. More importantly, she had not yet been completely worn down by the system, possessing a directness and... what could perhaps be called "sincerity."
Furthermore, with the favor of providing information earlier, her chances of success might be higher.
The Captain whispered solemnly, "Himeno, go and communicate with that... young lady. State our identity and purpose, and thank her for helping us eliminate the threat of the Yamanaka-gumi. Be respectful, but not overly subservient. The key is to feel out her next intentions."
Himeno took a deep breath and nodded. She, too, felt the terror hidden beneath that young girl's shell.
She clenched her fists, trying to calm her heartbeat, and stepped forward alone, stopping about five meters away from Sukuna (Utaha) and bowing slightly.
"Good evening, Lord." Himeno's voice remained as steady as possible, but a trace of undetectable trembling betrayed her nervousness.
"We are members of the Public Safety Division. Thank you very much for exorcising the devil entrenched here as well as the Yamanaka-gumi, you've solved a major problem for us."
Controlling Utaha's face, Sukuna's four crimson pupils sized up the woman before him with interest.
"Public Safety?" Sukuna spoke lazily, his voice coming through Utaha's throat with a hint of inhuman resonance.
"I was just cleaning up trash, there's no need for your thanks."
Maintaining a respectful posture, Himeno continued, "As you say, Lord. Additionally, we found a batch of dangerous firearms inside the warehouse. This is a matter of great importance. I wonder if you know their origin?"
"Firearms?" Sukuna seemed to think of something, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
"Oh, those metal lumps... probably toys accidentally dropped by some bastard who likes playing with guns. Why? Are you interested in them?"